Doshas and Dusters

Doshas and Dusters

I managed to spend six consecutive weeks at our camp this summer.  For the most part, I was alone, with weekend visits from my room-mate who is quick to say, “Some of us have to work for a living.” Well, not me!!

Tom, Working for a Living

At a family party, one of my cousins asked, “What do you do at your camp all summer, Barb?” 

Allow me to answer that question. There’s lots to do! The social life in Long Reach is vibrant. There was the Rhubarb Beer/Cider-Tasting Wharf Fundraiser at my Ancestral Home.

      

Long Reach Products

There was the day trip to Deer Island with two of my sisters, one of whom liked to stop and comment on every lobster trap, mailbox and half-ton we saw.

Deer Island Mailboxes

There were two family beach parties at Gail's beach, welcoming relatives from the Yukon, British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and all corners of New Brunswick. 

Three Generation Beach Party-ers

There were six lunches at the Carter House with six different dates. 

Carter House Tea

There was the Pie Party at the Gorham Cottage to welcome baby Brooke to Long Reach.

Brooke and Andrea

Every Friday night, The Smokehouse at Fullerton's Market is open for supper and meeting up with the neighbours. Hard ice-cream and hot coffee are available everyday!

Smokehouse Suppers

On Saturday mornings, the Kingston Market is the place to be for shopping and socializing.  

Kingston Farmers' Market

And every other Sunday, you can attend church!

Long Reach United Church

Our Fourth Annual Menopause Camp, a fun-filled afternoon with eight local women of a certain age, was a great success. The agenda was jam-packed beginning with lunch prepared and served by our YOUNG Camp Counsellor, Ruthie. A yoga instructor by trade, she determined our Doshas—something everyone, menopausal or not, might benefit from. What’s a Dosha, you ask? Very briefly, the three doshas are biological energies found throughout the human body and mind. Vata is composed of space and air; Pitta of fire and water; Kapha of earth and water. Which one are you?

Menopause Camp, 2018

 We had a Menopausal Complaint Session balanced with a Menopausal Gratitude Session, followed by a Dear Abby Wisdom Exercise and some Menopausal Math. Menopausal Door Prizes included notepads, incontinence pads, hairnets, facecloths and cooling soap. Our Menopausal Soundtrack consisted of songs with the word “HOT” in them. The afternoon concluded with a Menopausal Dip at the wharf-- we kept our bathing suits on this year. We never got around to the Art Workshop led by Auntie DoodleBop, Artist-in-Residence, nor to the Toenail Polishing Event. There is so much to cover at Menopause Camp! (Applications are being received for next year. Some restrictions apply.)

Register Now!!

HOT on the heels of Menopause Camp, was the Third Annual Charlotte’s Tea, a fundraiser for Kingston Peninsula Heritage, named in honour of our mother. We included a singing component this year with our own Carolyn Murray’s original composition, There’s Nothing Like a Cup of Tea. Who knows, maybe next year, Charlotte’s Tea, The Musical!

The Charlotte's Tea Choir
Apron String Sextet

There was the First Annual Duster Party --dress code, duster and pearls. What's a duster?  "...a long, lightweight overgarment, worn especially in the early days of open automobiles to protect the clothing from dust." Need one?

Bring back the Duster!

We were fortunate to have Noel spend three weekends with us over the summer. Having him in our lives is so enriching, sharing experiences we might otherwise not pursue, such as The Busker Festival, The Huntsman Aquarium, The Kandy Shoppe, St. Andrews, New River Beach,  Smackdown WWE at Harbour Station, Sea Dog Cove and The John Deere Trail.

Noel at the Huntsman

Without Noel in our lives, our vocabulary would be bereft of jumpscare, legitness, and gainstin’. We probably wouldn’t bother with hotdogs, bonfires, smores, Yahtzee, remote control cars, mini-cereals and beach glass creations.

Beach Glass Creations 

by Noel, Barb and Tom

We might still kayak, pick apples and make applesauce, but it wouldn't be the same without him.

Rollin' on the River

With all that activity and social hubbub, I needed some quiet moments to recharge. There is no TV at the camp and Internet access is limited, so I spend a lot of alone time listening to books. I fell heir to four bags of rescue yarn which included 63 granny squares crying out to be put together. I assembled this afghan while listening to Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises. Of course, that inspired a name for the finished product.   

The Sun Also Rises

And that’s how I spent my summer!

...Until Next Time...